Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Overview

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. Under SDWA, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is authorized under the SDWA to set national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants. US EPA, states, and water systems then work together to make sure that these standards are met.

Water systems must use EPA-approved analytical methods when analyzing samples to meet federal monitoring requirements or to demonstrate compliance with drinking water regulations. Approved methods are listed in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 40 Parts 141 - 143. Approved methods are developed by EPA, other government agencies, universities, consensus methods organizations, water laboratories, and instrument manufacturers.

Laboratories must be certified by EPA or the State to analyze drinking water samples for compliance monitoring.

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EPA Approved Methods for the Analysis of Multiple Metals in Drinking Water

Method	Instrumental Technique	Shimadzu Model
EPA 200.5	ICP Axial	ICPE-9800
EPA 200.7	ICP Radial	ICPE-9800
EPA 200.8	ICPMS	ICPMS-2040 / ICPMS-2050
EPA 200.9	GFAAS	AA-7800G

EPA approved Methods for Anions in Drinking Water

Anions	Method	Instrumental Technique	Shimadzu Model
Cyanide	Standard Methods 4500 CN	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1900i Plus
Nitrate	Standard Methods 4500 NO3	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1900i Plus
Nitrite	Standard Methods 4500 NO2	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1900i Plus
Phosphate	Standard Methods 4500 P	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1900i Plus
Sulfate	Standard Methods 4500 SO4	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1900i Plus
Inorganic Anions	EPA 300.0	Ion Chromatography	Nexera IC
Inorganic Anions	EPA 300.1	Ion Chromatography	Nexera IC
Cations	ASTM D6919	Ion Chromatography	Nexera IC

EPA Approved Methods for Organics in Drinking Water

Contaminant Group	Method	Instrumental Technique	Shimadzu Model
Volatiles	EPA 524.2	Purge & Trap GCMS (original method - no flexibility allowed)	GCMS-QP2020 NX with EST
	EPA 524.3	Purge & Trap GCMS (flexibility allowed, SIM allowed, requires sample cooling)	GCMS-QP2020 NX with EST
	EPA 524.4	Purge & Trap GCMS (Nitrogen as purge gas, flexibility allowed, SIM allowed, requires sample cooling)	GCMS-QP2020 NX with EST
1,4-Dioxane	EPA 522	Liquid-Solid Extraction Direct Injection GCMS	GCMS-QP2050 or GCMS-QP2020 NX
Semi volatiles	EPA 525.2	Liquid-Solid Extraction Direct Injection GCMS	GCMS-QP2050 or GCMS-QP2020 NX
Semi volatiles	EPA 525.3	SPE Direct Injection GCMS (SIM and some flexibility allowed)	GCMS-QP2050 or GCMS-QP2020 NX
Organochlorine Pesticides and PCBs	EPA 508	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with ECD	GC-2030
	EPA 508A	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with ECD	GC-2030
	EPA 508.1	Liquid-Solid Extraction Direct Injection GC with ECD	GC-2030
Organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides	EPA 507	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with NPD	GC-2030
Triazine pesticides	EPA 536	HPLCMSMS	LCMS-TQ RX Series
Triazine pesticides	EPA 523	Liquid-Solid Extraction GCMS	GCMS-QP2050
Chlorinated Acids (Herbicides)	EPA 515.4	Liquid-Liquid Extraction, Derivatization and GC with ECD	GC-2030
Haloacetic Acids and Dalapon	EPA 552.3	Liquid-Liquid Extraction, Derivatization and GC with ECD	GC-2030
Haloacetic Acids and Dalapon	EPA 557	Ion Chromatography ESI MSMS	LCMS-TQ RX Series
Glyphosate	EPA 547	Direct Injection HPLC, Post Column Derivatization, and Fluorescence Detection	LC-40 HPLC System
Hormones	EPA 539	SPE HPLCMSMS	LCMS-TQ RX Series